Michigan

English has the 'it' factor to be a head coach

ORLANDO, Fla. - Any doubts about how badly Ron English wants to be a head football coach were erased with the story he told Saturday afternoon.

English interviewed for vacant head coaching positions at both Michigan and Arkansas, but the job the Wolverines' defensive coordinator really wanted was Southern Illinois. It's technically a step down, a job at what most folks still refer to as the I-AA level, but English was willing to go back to riding buses and take a pay cut to become a head coach. He had retiring Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and others call about the job on his behalf.

And he couldn't get anywhere.

Not even a call back, let alone an interview.

"I'm really one who believes in performance, and when you have not had head coaching experience at any level, it's going to be hard to get a BCS job," English said. "That's why I really wanted to try to get in on the Southern Illinois job, but they weren't interested.

"A bunch of people called Southern Illinois for me and they wouldn't return the calls. Lloyd called and a couple ADs called and they wouldn't return the calls."

Lennon appears to be a fine choice, but in a game filled with young African-American players, you have to wonder why a small school in the Midwest wouldn't be interested in talking to a Big Ten defensive coordinator, a guy who a year ago was named the best assistant coach in the country by Rivals.com, and who also happens to be African-American.

There are just six black coaches at the 119 schools competing at college football's highest level, and if English can't get a call back from Southern Illinois, it's hard to see that number increasing any time soon.

"I think it's interesting," Michigan tailback Mike Hart said. "I think now people are trying to do a better job. But a lot of times, when a black coach does get an interview, it's kind of just a token black coach, so that university can say it interviewed a black coach."

English admitted Saturday that he believed one of his two interviews this year was just for show. He declined to say which one, probably because rocking the boat on this topic is only going to hurt his future job prospects.

When Tuesday's Capital One Bowl against Florida is over, English will have options. He has an offer to become the defensive coordinator at Louisville, a job that he'll probably take and will keep him positioned for the job he really wants as someone's head coach.

Coordinators can make up to $500,000 annually these days - double what some Mid-American Conference head coaching jobs pay - but English made it clear he'd happily take a pay cut to run his own program, and stressed he's not holding out for an Arkansas or a Michigan.

"With the money universities are paying in the major conferences, I think it's hard to hire a coordinator if you do not have head-coaching experience," English said. "I'm just trying to get into position to do that.

"To me, if it's about the money, you're doing another job. You're working a lot less hours and getting paid a lot more money. But if you aspire to be a head coach, you have to do what that takes.

Many of the best coaches in the game - Urban Meyer and Bobby Petrino come to mind - easily made the transition from Division I-A assistant to Division I-A head coach without having to go to a lower level.

Is English the next Meyer or Petrino waiting to happen?

It's hard to tell. He's known as an outstanding recruiter and a coach his players love to play for, but his defenses have had some great moments and some rough moments in his two seasons as coordinator.

More than any individual factor, though, English has that kind of personal presence - the "it" factor - that great head coaches often have.

When he looks you in the eye to make a point, you don't look away.

If the folks at Southern Illinois had given him a chance to do just that, maybe he'd already be a head coach.